However, the legislation is yet to be formally enacted. Once the legislation is triggered, the requirement for councils to have LSCBs will be replaced with a requirement on three partners - local authorities, the police and the health service - to make arrangements for working together on child protection in a local area.

Under the DfE's plans, safeguarding partners will have up to 12 months to agree the arrangements for themselves, and any other relevant agencies they consider appropriate, to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area.

Following publication of local arrangements, safeguarding partners will have up to three months to implement the changes. Once the arrangements have been published and implemented, the LSCB for the local area will cease to exist.

The DfE document also reveals that the delayed pilots of mental health assessments for looked-after children, intended to ensure looked-after children have their mental health needs identified and supported, will start in April 2018.

The pilots had been due to launch in up to 10 areas in May 2017 but their launch stalled after Prime Minister Theresa May called last year's snap general election.

The document also confirms that the What Works Centre for Children's Social Care is due to become fully established in April 2020.

The centre was first mooted in 2016 as a means of gathering and sharing evidence about effective practice within children's social care but was only formally launched in October 2017.